On Wednesday, January 3, 2018, President Hensrud presented the 2018-2023 Strategic Plan to the university community during the Spring Semester Launch meeting

Bemidji State University’s strategic plan, titled “Inspired by Place, Enriched by Diversity,” seeks to elevate the university’s service to the state of Minnesota and its people. This five-year plan (2018-2023) includes five institutional priorities that will help ensure that BSU’s continued development aligns with and advances system-wide priorities of student success; diversity, equity and inclusion; and financial sustainability.

View a summary of the Strategic Plan for 2018-2023.

Read the BSU Strategic Plan 2018-2023.

Five Strategic Priorities

The five priorities focus on promoting student success and growing enrollment through appreciation of the university’s values and geographic and cultural distinctions, engagement in transformative teaching and learning informed by those characteristics and improved representation of the complex ethnic and social diversity of the state and region among both students and employees. These priorities, and their supporting Goals and Key Activities, also have a synergistic intent.

  1. Build university capacity through distinguishing themes of place.
  2. Increase engagement with American Indian communities to become a destination university.
  3. Increase student engagement in campus life.
  4. Strengthen BSU’s academic identity by infusing its Shared Fundamental Values into all academic programs.
  5. Create a university culture in which diversity is embraced and all members are safe, welcome and validated.

Key Activities

The strategic planning committee identified Key Activities that would begin within the first three semesters, which we are calling Year 1 — the 18-month period from now through June 2019. Activities are broken down by semester and include such steps as planning, implementation and ongoing effort.

Year 1 Activities

Progress on Year 1 Activities

Planning Process

A Message from President Hensrud:

Dear BSU stakeholders,

Bemidji State University has started the process to develop a new strategic plan, which we expect to complete at the end of 2017 and begin to implement in January 2018. The plan’s time horizon will be determined as we begin the work, but it is certain to cross the threshold of Bemidji State’s 100th year, in 2019.

The university has several ongoing goals as we strive to secure a bright and sustainable future for our institution and its service to students and the wider world. Among these goals are modest but steady enrollment growth, greater diversity throughout our campus community and increased civic engagement across our region.

A new strategic plan will demand that we clarify these and other established objectives while identifying additional goals that will allow us to become what we hope to be. Just as importantly, this process will give us a shared vocabulary, a clear timetable and measurable benchmarks for our progress.

I encourage you to use these webpages to follow our progress. The work will largely be done by a Strategic Planning Committee made up of representatives from across the campus and its employee bargaining units, but we will seek wider input at key points.
I speak for many when I say that we are passionate about Bemidji State University and will do our best to ensure the university remains a dynamic center of learning and service for generations to come.
Faith C. Hensrud

Faith Hensrud, Ed.D.
President
Bemidji State University

Timeline

  • January–February 2017
    • Form Strategic Planning Committee
    • Conduct Community Listening Sessions in 6 major sectors
    • Review previous strategic plan and determine what was accomplished and what items remain priorities that are in progress
  • February 2017: Review Mission and Vision: The mission and vision will not be revised as a first step, but, rather, consideration for any revisions will be made toward the end of the planning process, if necessary.
  • March 2017
    • Organize Strategic Planning Process to campus constituencies
    • Organize for Town Hall Meetings
  • April 2017
    • Town Hall Meetings
    • Analyze feedback from Town Hall Meetings and Listening Sessions
    • Develop goal theme statements
  • May 2017
    • Identify limited set of major goal themes
    • Assign goal statement development to sub-groups
  • June-August 2017
    • Sub-groups refine goal statements making them SMART
      • Specific (simple, sensible, significant).
      • Measurable (meaningful, motivating).
      • Achievable (agreed, attainable).
      • Relevant (reasonable, realistic and resourced, results-based).
      • Timely (implemented with a sense of urgency)
    • Sub-groups identify key activities to achieve goal statements
    • Sub-groups propose assessment criteria for goal statements
  • September 2017
    • Strategic Planning Committee reconvenes to review, revise and ratify goal statements
    • Strategic Planning Committee aligns goals with mission, vision and values
    • Sub-groups develop action plans for key activities
  • October 2017
    • Strategic Planning Committee seeks institution-wide feedback on priorities and goals through campus feedback sessions and meetings with all campus departments
  • November 2017
    • Revise priorities and goals as needed
    • Establish year 1 action steps
  • December 2017: Present strategic plan with 1st year action steps to the campus community
  • January 2018: Begin implementation of the strategic plan

Strategic Planning Committee

  • Dr. Faith Hensrud, President
  • Dr. Tony Peffer, Provost/Vice President for Academic & Student Affairs
  • Karen Snorek, Vice President for Finance and Administration
  • Michelle Frenzel, Executive Director for Enrollment Management
  • Travis Greene, Dean of Students
  • Marla Patrias, Executive Director, BSU Foundation
  • TBD, Executive Director, American Indian Resource Center
  • Dr. Allen Bedford, Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs
  • Dr. Debbie Guelda — College of Arts & Sciences (IFO)
  • Dr. Tim Goodwin — College of Health Science & Human Ecology (IFO)
  • Dr. Bill Graves — College of Business (IFO)
  • Amber Fryklund — Athletics (IFO)
  • Brodie Karger — Information Technology Services (MAPE)
  • Sandra Beck — Facilities Services Supervisor (MMA)
  • Kelli Steggall — TRiO/SSS/Upward Bound (MUSAAF)
  • Thomas Skime — Theatre Technician (AFSCME)
  • Peter Gable (Student)
  • Galen Hlavsa (Student)

Strategic Planning Steering Committee

  • Dr. Faith Hensrud, President
  • Dr. Tony Peffer, Provost/Vice President for Academic & Student Affairs
  • Karen Snorek, Vice President for Administration and Finance
  • Michelle Frenzel, Executive Director for Enrollment Management
  • Dr. Allen Bedford, Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs
  • Dr. Debbie Guelda — College of Arts & Sciences

Communications

April 6, 2017 — Strategic Planning Town Halls: Agenda and Five Critical Questions

Two campus-wide, Strategic Plan Town Hall meetings were held in the Beaux Arts Ballroom on April 6. Attendees were invited to join small groups to discuss five critical questions, and those conversations were shared with the larger group and recorded at the end of the sessions. The introduction and reporting-out portions of the Town Hall meetings were recorded and are available for viewing at the following links:

Communications Archive

Listening Session Recaps

In February 2017, President Hensrud invited community stakeholders to six Listening Sessions to gather their input and perspective on how the university serves and partners with the region in subject areas that correspond to the university’s academic programs and public service.

Presentations

Town Hall Sessions

On April 6, 2017, President Hensrud hosted Town Hall sessions with the BSU faculty, staff and students to answer the five critical questions that will help shape the direction of work on a new university strategic plan. The introduction and reporting-out portions of the Town Hall meetings were recorded and are available for viewing at the following links:

Background Resources

Accreditation — Departments